Columbia University in the City of New York Top Questions

Work harder. If you think you're working hard, comparing yourself to your friends, you're probably not. When you get to college, keep up your good habits, it's easy to get caught up in social events and forget that first semesters are usually a lot easier academically than the rest of your college experience. That being said, you can't subsist entirely on academics. Make friends, let yourself explore new things, go out, have fun.

College life is amazing . it means the world , the future and the knowledge . Some persons get the best things from . On the other hand , other people change things from righting to be unrighting .So , that depends on what we have grown up on . surely who uses his mind rightly he/she will get what he/she looking for .

Don't sell yourself short. Don't be afraid to put yourself out there and apply even for the places that don't seem possible. You never know if you'll get in. I got into one of the top universities in the country, and was given the chance to move to New York City from the middle of nowhere. If I hadn't just gone for it, I never would have the opportunities that I have today. Reaching for the stars was the best thing I could have ever done for myself.

As a high school student, you can choose what you want to be good at based on how it appears to others and how it looks on the outside. College is too hard for that; you have to choose what you want to do based on your passions and aptitudes, ignoring the pressures that others place on you.

Try something other than engineering. It's hard.

Do everything the same.

Have fun. Relax.

Don't sweat the small things. Life is about experiences and some of the things you think right now will destroy you help form the person you will be. Don't focus so much on homework and projects and essays that you forget to have fun. Family and friends will be your support blanket the first couple months of college so don't discount them simply because you won't be in the same place. College can be a time to redefine who you are or help clarify your image; mom isn't there to cook for you, clean your room or listen to you complain about your roommate. Use this time to strengthen relationships so that when you go to college you are not desperate for attention. There are the same social games in college that there are in high school but you can chose not to play. Dive into things that interest you as opposed to what you think others are looking for, do what you want to do and be who you want to be.

I actually do not think that I would give myself any advice about succeeding at Columbia. Part of being successful here is learning things for onesself and telling my past self what to do and not do would not allow that learning period to happen in the same way. Of course I could tell myself not to take six classes in one semester because it feels like class never ends and there is no time for homework. But while I may not take six classes first semester Freshman year, I would probably take that amount second semester or sometime Sophomore year because I would never really know the feeling of being completely inundated with work. But it was that exact feeling that allowed me to be so successful second semester, since I took one less class and felt like I had ten extra years to complete all of my projects and problem sets. I have learned about myself that I need to learn for myself. To make my own mistakes and bear the results, but I would rather bear those results for the next ten or twenty years than not know, so I would tell myself nothing.

I would tell myself to go out and experience everything I possibly can the first semster. Don't be afriad to talk to strangers about topics you wouldn't ordinarily discuss, because out of those discusions come some of your best memories and you meet some of your best friends. Put yourself out there and hang around with lots of people. Join any and all clubs that interest you because from there you might not only develop new interests but meet new friends. Strike a balance between academics and your social life. Don't get overwhelmed by the workload because you'll soon come to realize that not all the work assigned is neccessary for the class. Be proactive and presue relationships with people who you find interesting. Lastly, take advantage of all the resources on campus from the free food to professors' office hours.